Arafat backs Pak nuclear tests

Addressing the media at Islamabad airport during his brief
stopover before leaving for Beijing, Arafat said, "Arab and Muslim
countries backed Pakistan for its nuclear tests." There was a very
positive and strong reaction from the Muslim world to Pakistan's
nuclear tests, he added.

Arafat disapproved of sanctions against
Pakistan, and said these curbs could not sustain for a long time.
Islamic countries, he said, will extend assistance to Pakistan if
these sanctions continued.

The Palestinian leader hoped that the meeting between Pakistani
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharief and his Indian counterpart Atal Bihari
Vajpayee in Colombo, on the sidelines of the SAARC meeting later this month,
would be useful and help reduce tensions. He called for a
peaceful and negotiated settlement of the Kashmir and other issues
between Pakistan and India.

Arafat recalled his mediation in 1972 which led to the signing
of the historic Simla Agreement.

"You should not forget that I was the mediator in the Simla
Agreement," he told reporters.

Asked about press reports on Indo-Israel military co-operation, he
said, "I hope this will not be done."